The Life and Lies of Nicole Riddle: Book 1
by nicole813711
Summary: Nicole Riddle isn't your average witch. Heck, she didn't even know she was one until a dark wizard in black broke down her front door. He whisks her away from her abusive family and into a world of magic. However, there's a dark secret surrounding her parentage with the power to alter her life. Question is: If fate is of our design, then which path will she set a course for?
1. A Change of Fate

**Disclaimer: The only things I own are any characters that aren't recognizable from the Harry Potter franchise. All else belongs to JK Rowling.**

A Change of Fate

 _Nicole's POV_

I fell backwards into the living room table, the edge catching one of the vertebrae of my spinal chord. I hissed in response to the pain flooding my system, glaring above me. My father watched, emotionless, as I spit blood out of my mouth, tongue running over the split lip. I pushed my emotions away, compartmentalizing it for the moment, and locking my thoughts away in the darkest room of my memory palace. I laid all my thoughts of my father to rest there and tried to forget my way back, hopefully so that I'd never have to relive them.

"You're a freak! A freak!" He screamed at me, shaking an envelope in my face, spit dribbling down his chin. His face was red and I could see a vein throbbing in his forehead as his cheek muscles began to tick. "I wish I had've known so I'd never agree to take you in!" I glared at him, sneering in response to his statement. I silently rolled over and pushed myself to my hands and knees, taking in a deep breath before continuing to push myself to my feet. I then turned around to look at the couple that had adopted me only to make my life a living hell.

When I was born, I was placed in an orphanage by a strange woman, claiming that I was alone in the world. Or that's what the records tell me. I truly had no knowledge of my parents identities- only that I was alone and they were dead. I had stayed at that orphanage for three years before this couple, my _parents_ , adopted me. I had, of course, been grateful to them during my early years, until I was nearly seven. That was when things began to change.

For whatever reason, I was able to make odd things happen from time to time. At first I had been skeptical of these strange occurrences, unsure as to the cause of them. It was after I accidentally set the living room curtains on fire once that my family and I realized who was to blame. I also learned on that day that I had some control over the flames I had managed to create. Somehow, I had been granted this amazing gift- which I soon discovered extended to all of the elements- something that most would be excited for. Most, key word being, _not me_.

Another mystery to me was, and always will be, my parents reaction. Rather than being impressed or trying to help me, or any other combination imaginable, they decided to take a much darker path. From the age of seven on, they were harsh with me, starting with making me do the chores of the house. It progressed over the years from working me excessively to harsh words. About two years ago, it progressed further to full blown abuse. They felt no remorse in hitting me, kicking me, and finding blunt objects to beat me with over these harsh two years. And now, today, nearly a week after my eleventh birthday, I found myself once again on the receiving end of their anger for some unknown reason. I hadn't set anything on fire or done anything 'freaky'.

I was brought back to the present then as my father smacked me, causing me to stumble backwards. I clenched my jaw, quickly trying to regain control of my emotions after the unexpected assault. I could taste more blood welling up in my mouth as I turned to look at my father once more, not even deigning to glare at him. I simply raised my eyebrow, falling back on my defensive mechanism of taunting.

"As wonderful as this conversation may be, I'd like to at least know why you're using me as a pinata today," I commented, preparing for the next strike my way. I received it fairly quickly, this blow causing me to stumble backwards over the coffee table, falling into the indoor flower pot. I heard my mother gasp, moaning about her _precious_ flowers. I felt the disgust well up in me, and I glared, unable to wait for the moment I would be old enough and strong enough to fight back. I swear I would _kill_ them.

"Maybe that will teach you a little respect," my father threw back at me, shaking the envelope once more.

"Respect? Oh yes. Soon you'll have me saying, 'Please sir, may I have another,'" I told him as I stood up carefully, trying to avoid embedding the ceramic shards any further into my skin. Another blow, this time a kick, had me doubled over, falling to my knees as the wind was knocked from me.

"One day your mouth will get you into trouble," he growled at me, turning away to look back at the letter that, supposedly, was for me.

"Trouble indeed. Seems it's already found me," I told him, sweeping my hand to gesture at the couple. "Though I bet I'd welcome the sort of trouble you're talking about. Might as well put me out of my misery." I heard a snarl and looked up just in time to see my dad flying at me. He grabbed the front of my shirt, dragging me to my feet, and started pushing me backwards until we reached the top of the basement stairs. My heart lurched slightly, panic beginning to flood me involuntarily as I grabbed at the walls on either side, trying to keep my balance. I immediately focused on compartmentalizing my panic, focusing on remaining calm.

"I've had _enough_ of your mouth for tonight! You want trouble? How about a broken arm? We'll see how you manage with _that_ sort of trouble," he hissed at me, jerking me towards him in preparation to throw me backwards. Everything slowed to a crawl then.

I could feel the look of horror forming on my face despite myself as my body moved closer to him. A loud crash had our heads spinning to the front door as it splintered, exploding into the house. My mother turned to face the intruder. I barely had time to take in any of his features before my momentum had suddenly been changed, body going backwards. I heard more than felt as I tumbled down the stairs, landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom.

Groaning, I lifted my head up to take stock of my injuries, keeping the door that housed pain in my mind firmly shut. The dim light from the open door allowed me to see that my arm was stuck out at an odd angle, obviously broken. The light was gone with the crack of the door as it slammed shut. Breathing heavily, I stood up in the cool darkness, turning around and heading through the door and further into the basement, also known as my prison cell.

I carefully picked my way into the room and around the bed with my eyes closed. I found it easier this way to maneuver around my room, though I knew the layout by heart. After all, having been thrown back into this room, injured, after many a beating had allowed me to learn how to move silently and quickly in the dark. I took a sharp left at the end, entering the tiny laundry room. I dropped to my hands and knees, only using one hand to propel me as I skittered across the floor. Squeezing behind the washer and dryer, I carefully removed a piece of the wall that was invisible unless you knew of its existence. I quickly darted into the room on the other side, being careful to replace the section of wall.

I sighed with relief as I sat back in the fairly large area with enough room to stand. It served as an underground storage area for the house. The main entrance had long been sealed off after my parents renovated the basement to serve as my prison. This smaller, secret entrance, only known to me, remained and allowed me to access the room. I used it for my own purposes as a hiding spot or, as I sometimes imagined, my own secret clubhouse. Now that I was safely inside, I lit a candle to give me light before quickly checking over my wounds.

The quick check revealed a head wound, bleeding profusely, and a broken arm. Other than that, most of the injuries consisted of cuts, bruises, and glass wounds, all of which were quite natural and a regular occurrence for me. Determining that I would live, I switched my thoughts to the break-in occurring upstairs. All was silent, so I could only assume that whoever it was had already taken care of my parents. Was this person a threat to me? And could they possibly find me in here?

Hardly daring to breathe, I listened to the footsteps as they crossed the floor above me, moving to the basement stairs. They slowly started their descent, and I instantly knew that, threat or not, they were searching for me. Enough searching and they would find me. Looking around the room, I moved to a small wooden table I had nicked from my neighbor's garbage pile once. Lying on top of it was one of my mother's good steak knives that 'went missing' a few weeks back when my father was becoming more violent. I clutched it to my chest and sat on one of the four chairs that matched the table.

The footsteps were crossing my room, making a direct beeline to the laundry room. I held my breath, knowing that this person somehow knew exactly where I was. It was the only thing that made sense, after all. Why else would he or she move to the laundry room before checking under the bed or in the closet? The footsteps entered the laundry room and paused before approaching the wall. They stopped and I heard the person's knuckles rap on the wood. There was a pause before I heard a deep chuckle.

Silence reigned for a few seconds after before a whispered word and a flash of light. With that flash of light came the wall bursting inwards. I used my broken arm to shield my face from stray splinters, the other brandishing the knife in front of me, prepared to fight. As the dust began to settle, a tall, masculine figure stepped into the room, dressed in dark colors. He stood still and we observed each other, taking in our opponent. He was very tall, easily towering over me, with dark eyes reminding me of cold obsidian. He was pale with shoulder length, greasy black hair that was far darker than his eyes, though I had hardly thought it possible. The silence returned for several moments as he tilted his head, considering me.

"Nicole Riddle?" He asked slowly after a moment, eyes empty of any sort of emotion. I almost felt as if I was looking into the eyes of a robot, or an empty vessel. I continued staring at him, keeping my face as carefully constructed as possible, trying to give as little away as possible, while considering why he might be looking for me.

"I'd be worried about saying 'yes', but it looks like you've already broken down my front door," I replied, tilting my head slightly. "That and, thankfully, it doesn't appear you have a gun." He frowned in confusion, sneering slightly. "What? You telling me you've never seen _Terminator_? No?" I asked him, receiving the same look. "Your loss," I told him with a shrug before returning to a more serious frame of mind. "Really though- who's asking?"

"My name is Severus Snape, and I'm a teacher at Hogwarts. We're the boarding school that sent you the letter your father was confronting you about," he told me carefully, taking a few slow steps forward. I took a step back, eyes narrowing.

"Well, I wouldn't know, considering I never had a chance to look at the letter," I told him, moving so to keep the table between us. The hand holding the knife came up from where it had fallen to my side ever so slightly. I kept a firm grip on it, keeping it out of his eyesight.

"I'm only here to help you," he informed me, sneering ever so slightly. "Now if you wouldn't mind, put the blade on the table." I glared in return, considering denying it before deciding my best course of action was to place the knife down. I slowly moved forward and placed it on the table, stepping away after. "Now, please come around the table so I can help you."

"Now why do you think I'd do that? I'd then be sacrificing the last advantage I have to make myself completely vulnerable to a stranger," I told him, keeping my voice level, as I maintained eye contact. He rolled his eyes, brandishing a thin strip of wood that looked like one of those wands that a witch would hold in those old halloween type movies.

" _Please_. If I _wanted_ to hurt you, I'd have done so already. A measly door didn't stop my entry, so what makes you think a table _will_?" He asked, starting to sound as if his patience was quickly evaporating. I frowned, quickly calculating the situation. On one hand, I would be vulnerable, though there was the chance he would really help me. Should I refuse, however, I stood the chance of pissing him off royally, which could make it more likely that he would harm me. Though I didn't like the odds, I quickly made up my mind and cautiously moved out from around the table. "Sit," was all he told me.

I took one of the two chairs as he sat in the chair next to me, turning it so that he could face me. He quickly took my injured arm, holding what looked to be a wand, pointing it at my arm. He looked back up at me real quick before glancing back down and hissing something that sounded oddly like latin. "Brackium Emendo," he muttered, a flash appearing from the end of the wand. I felt my eyes widen as my broken arm shifted back into place, the bone snapping together. The brief flash of pain was so slight and brief that I barely even felt it, through I wasn't sure if that was a testament to his skills at setting bones or my pain tolerance due to the number of beatings over the past few years.

"How'd you do that? You know- set my arm with that… er… stick?" I asked skeptically, astonished at the events that had just taken place. He simply smirked.

"I didn't set it. I healed your broken bone. Try moving it," he advised me. I glanced warily at him before doing as he said. To my surprise, I had complete mobility! My arm truly was healed!

"But- how?" I asked as he turned away, pulling out vials filled with a dark, blood-like substance.

"Magic," he replied. I nodded my head, looking down at his wand, as I was sure it must be called, surprised that I wasn't more shocked. Then again, I could exhibit some measure of control over the elements, and I'm sure that kept me open minded. After all, that had to be some sort of magic, right? He looked up at me then, frowning ever so slightly. "You don't seem surprised. Or skeptical," he stated, tilting his head before returning to his work.

"No, I don't suppose I am," I replied as he took my arm, flicking his wand as he did so. The glass flew from the wounds, landing on the table with a plunk. He then began muttering more latin words, causing my skin to knit itself back together, leaving fresh pink skin in its wake. I continued as he moved his wand, muttering the same phrase over and over to heal my wounds. "I suppose I've always known that it had to be something like magic. The stuff I could do. 'sides, if this isn't magic, then I don't know what is," I added as an afterthought. He nodded, quickly healing my head wound before turning to the vials of potion.

"You mentioned anomalies that you caused. We call these anomalies accidental magic. It's when a young witch or wizard performs magic without intention or without realizing," the professor explained as he uncorked one vial. "I'll need you to take this," he told me, handing it to me before continuing as if he never paused, "Care to tell me about these uses of accidental magic?"

"Sure. Where to start?" I asked as I downed the vial. I immediately snorted, trying to hold back a gag at the taste. It had tasted just like actual blood, which startled me. "What the bloody hell is that?" I asked him, swallowing thickly. He smirked, taking the vial back and uncorking a second.

" _That_ was a blood replenishing potion. I believe the name is straightforward enough that you can guess its function," he replied, pushing a second vial towards me. He quickly pocketed the remaining vials. "Drink this final one. Two should be enough seeing as you, thankfully, didn't lose much blood." I took a deep breath, now prepared for the taste.

"Well, cheers," I told him, miming toasting with the vial before downing it once more. This time, I managed to drink it without cringing or showing any real discomfort at drinking the potion. "Anyway, where were we? Oh, that's right! Accidental magic," I commented, tilting my head sideways. "Let's see… my first bit was when I was seven and I accidentally set the drapes on fire. Then I ended up making one of my mother's pots disappear when she tried swatting me with it. Another time I managed to throw my father away from me and across the room," I listed, pausing to think about the times I purposely controlled my magic so to control the elements. "I think I've been knowingly performing magic for a while now though."

"Why would you say that?" He asked, turning to meet my eyes. I felt a slight prickling in my forehead as our eyes met before suddenly being jerked mentally. Someone was in my memory palace. I couldn't explain how I knew exactly, but I did. I could feel them walking through the halls. Closing my eyes, I pictured my memory palace and saw the professor walking through the halls, looking at the various doors.

"You don't belong here," I told him, stalking up to him. When I finally reached him, I pushed, throwing him back through the hall and out the door. The door slammed shut behind him, locking in place ominously. My eyes flew open then, and I found myself glaring at him. "What the bloody hell was _that_?"

"Which part exactly? The Legilimency or the fine example of Occlumency?" he asked, causing me to tilt my head slightly, puzzled at the new terms. He continued on to explain, hardly pausing. "Legilimency is a form of mind magic that allows one to infiltrate another's mind. It allows them to see their memories and even obtain a general impression of their thoughts. Occlumency is the form of mind magic that defends your mind from infiltration. _I_ had infiltrated your mind to witness these memories of you knowingly performing magic. _Your_ defense in the form of a memory palace was advanced beyond your age," he told me, to which I nodded slowly. "How did you learn to build a palace so impressive?"

"Well, I read a lot. Not much else to do," I told him, shrugging and gesturing at a far bookshelf. It was where I hid all my prized books that I enjoyed reading so much. "I got the idea from reading a few books on the method of loci. I attempted it and found it was relatively natural for me. My palace isn't very big yet or well defended, but I hope to work on it," I told him, smiling slightly. He nodded in response, frowning slightly.

"Well, I suppose I should give you what is yours," he told me, handing me the envelope from earlier. I saw that it was addressed to me and had a coat of arms on it. Opening it, I found two sheets of paper inside. One appeared to be an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while the other was a supplies list. It read:

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL_

 _of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

 _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Miss. Riddle,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL_

 _of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _UNIFORM_

 _First-year students will require:_

 _sets of plain work robes (black)_

 _plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

 _pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

 _winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

 _COURSE BOOKS_

 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

 _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

 _by Miranda Goshawk_

 _A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

 _Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

 _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

 _by Phyllida Spore_

 _Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

 _by Newt Scamander_

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

 _by Quentin Trimble_

 _OTHER EQUIPMENT_

 _1 wand_

 _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

 _1 set glass or crystal phials_

 _1 telescope_

 _1 set brass scales_

 _Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad._

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

I shook my head at this, smiling down at the letter before looking back up at him. "So how did you know to come today? I mean, the thirty first isn't for another week or anything, so it isn't like my reply is late."

"The letters are magic and reacted to your blood, informing us that something was amiss," he told me as he took the letter back, holding on to it for me. "Now, we have jumped topics once more. I still would like to know what you meant earlier when you said you had knowingly performed magic."

"Alright," I told him, shaking my head. "What I meant was that there are times that I'm able to control my magic. For example, I can control when I make fire and even direct it and stuff." His eyes widened ever so slightly at this and he drew in a deep breath. "What? Did I say some-"

"You can make fire and control it?" He asked. I nodded and, just to prove it, made a ball of fire appear in my hand. I then proceeded to make it flit around the room, hovering as it moved from spot to spot to light up the room before I stopped focusing, making it disappear. " _Elementorum Dominateur_ ," I heard him whisper.

"What? What does that mean?"

"It's the name given to those that can control the elements. It's a very rare power, though most people that practice it are simply referred to as Elementals. So, I take it fire is your element?"

"Well, yes," I told him, shrugging slightly. "It's the one I'm closest to of the four."

"Closest to?" he asked, leaning forward. "Do you mean-?"

"That I can control the other three? Yeah," I told him, shrugging. To demonstrate, I moved the dirt and dust in the room, compacting it into a rock. I then caused a slight breeze to fill the room and I refilled the vials with water. He watched expectantly before smiling slightly.

"Very interesting indeed. You see, most can only control one element. It's extremely rare for one to control all four. The last recorded Elemental to control all four is believed to be Merlin," he told me, causing my eyes to widen.

"Merlin?! You mean he's real?" I exclaimed, smiling. Oh how I had loved the old stories of the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur. The stories of Merlin and Camelot.

"Well of course. With all that he did, I fail to see how he couldn't be real," Professor Snape replied with a slight smile. "This is astounding," he told me, standing from his seat. "Come, we must go," he told me, extending his hand. I frowned at this, eyes narrowing.

"Hold up. Where do you want me to go? I mean, I hardly know you, no offense."

"None taken," he replied, quickly moving to answer the question. "We must go to Hogwarts. It is evident that your living conditions are unsuitable for a young witch. The Headmaster will be able to help your predicament. Unless you'd rather stay here…" he told me, leaving the sentence hanging in the air. I made a show of thinking it over, though I knew my decision was already made.

"Alright, good point. Let's go," I said, taking his hand. He smirked slightly, looking down at me.

"Hold on," was the only warning I got before he turned on the spot. I was instantly come over with the feeling of being squeezed through a tight hole. My vision flashed as all the air was squeezed out of my lungs. Just when I thought I would pass out from the lack of oxygen, it was over, and I had dropped to my knees.

"You could have warned me," I told him, groaning as I opened my eyes. "You should-" I stopped in the middle of my sentence, forgetting what I had been about to say. " _Woah_."

 **A/N: Alright, so I know the first chapter was a little quick and brief, but I hope that it was better than the first chapter of the original story. I scrapped the original and re-wrote it, using some elements. As you can see, Nicole Riddle was still abused, though I made it for a shorter period of time. I also tried to highlight her more Slytherin characteristics, as well as her attitude. She's still going to be a powerful witch, being an Elemental, though I did scrap a lot of the Mary-Sue abilities and tried to make it a little more realistic. And yes, she'll still be Voldemort's daughter.**

 **For the most part, that's all I really had to say. I'll be taking down the original story as soon as I post this story. The next update won't be until next Saturday at a minimum. I'll update the chapter with more details closer to then. Any questions, feel free to send a PM. Please comment and let me know what you think!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Nicole813711**

 **Update 2/23/2016: Minor adjustments to the story. This will continue for the other stories over the next couple of days, ending with another chapter by the end of the week. Sorry for any who were following this story.**


	2. The Headmaster

**Disclaimer: The only things I own are any characters that aren't recognizable from the Harry Potter franchise. All else belongs to JK Rowling.**

The Headmaster

 _Nicole's POV_

" _Woah._ " I couldn't help the look of awe that I was sure was crossing my face as I stared up at the enormous structure imposed behind the large iron gates. A huge castle stood in the distance, looking magnificent and majestic. It looked fit for a king, with towers and spirals shooting off from the towers. It loomed overhead, seated on a large cliffside that dangled high above a large lake. Looking off to the right I could see a huge Willow tree, larger than any I had ever seen, with slightly malformed branches. A hut rested several hundred feet from it, nearer to us than the Willow, set back at the edge of a large forest. A hand clamped down on my shoulder, grasp gentle yet firm. I looked to my left to see Snape watching me, expression guarded. "It's beautiful. Is this-"

"Hogwarts? Yes, this is Hogwarts. This castle is home to one of the finest schools for witchcraft and wizardry in Europe," he replied, taking in the grounds. "It's splendor is something that shall never fade, no matter the number of times you look upon its countenance or wander its halls," he explained further, a slight smile crossing his features. "It will be your home for the next seven years. You'll spend more time here than anywhere else," he added, glancing to me. His guard returned and his face closed off, emotion gone. "Come. The Headmaster is waiting for us," he added before he set off at a brisk pace, walking through the gates as they magically swung open. I jogged to catch up to him before falling in line, keeping up with his brisk pace.

"Well, while I'm still thinking about it, what was that before? How'd we get here? I mean, I know it's magic, but what was it?" I asked, considering the form of magical teleportation we had undergone to arrive here.

"It's called Apparition. It's a form of wizarding transportation," he replied, staring straight ahead.

"Sounds cool. How's it work?"

"Well, firstly, you need a wand," he told me, causing me to deflate slightly. It sounded like I wouldn't be able to apparate at least until I acquired a wand. "Secondly, it involves a great deal of control, discipline, and focus. This is something that eleven year olds do not possess enough of. Thirdly, you can't acquire an apparition license until you pass your test at the age of seventeen." I frowned even more at this, deflating completely. It sounded like I wouldn't be able to do that for quite a long time.

"Well, that stinks. Anyway, you never answered my question. _How_ does it work?"

"It's magic," he replied, rolling his eyes. "It involves channeling your magic through your wand and focusing on your destination. There are three important steps to apparation, which include fixing your mind on your destination. You should be determined, step two, to occupy a set space which you should visualize. Thirdly, you invoke the magic by turning sharply on the spot and deliberately moving forward to your destination." I grinned at the explanation, taking in the information and processing it.

"Sounds a lot like teleportation if you ask me. Only more… magical," I replied with a small grin. He rolled his eyes slightly.

"I do suppose that the muggle concept of teleportation is very similar to disapparation. I wouldn't be surprised if the concept of teleportation stemmed from a muggle witnessing a wizard disapparating," he replied as we walked through large wooden doors, entering what appeared to be the entrance hall of the castle. I paused for a moment, staring around in wonder at the large stone structure before realizing that he had kept walking. I jogged once more to catch up to him, falling back into our pace rhythm, keeping thoughts of the castle from my head. After all, I'd have seven years to explore and marvel at it. I couldn't afford to be lost now.

"Muggle," I muttered, refocusing on the conversation at hand as I tasted the word in my mouth. "You've mentioned it before. I'm just going by the context, but does it mean someone without magic?"

"That's exactly what it means," he replied, a hint of a smile on his face. "You're a rare muggle raised student indeed. Most choose to bother me with inane questions, not choosing to search for the answer themselves." I smiled at this as we began climbing one of the many large staircases. I looked up to see that the stairs continued for several flights, some of which were moving. I could feel my eyes widen at this, causing my feet to spurn forwards to keep up with Professor Snape. After all, I did not want to be caught on the staircase should it decide to move.

"Well, I'm glad to have your approval. I do have another question: why couldn't you apparate us any closer? I find this walk to be extraordinary, but quite tiring," I commented to him, pausing slightly in my step. "Wait, don't answer that. It's because you couldn't, right?"

"Correct. Hogwarts has many forms of protection spells around it, one of which disables wizards from apparating on these grounds. Anywhere inside the gates is touched by an anti-disapparition jinx that keeps witches and wizards from disapparating on the premises." I nodded in response as we entered another hallway, the staircases long behind us. I paused slightly, looking ahead to see that the hallway ended in a dead end. A large gargoyle stood at the end, taking up a good portion of the wall.

"I take it that's our destination?" I asked as I followed him closer to the statue. I didn't receive an answer as we approached the gargoyle, soon stopping in front of it. The statue blinked, causing me to jump back in surprise.

"Acidpops," the professor spoke, not even giving the gargoyle time to say or do anything. It bowed its head, stepping to the side to reveal a moving stone staircase. It reminded me of an escalator, only made of stone. I quickly mastered the look of surprise on my face as I followed him onto the staircase. A loud crack of stone on stone sounded behind me, and so I turned to see the Gargoyle had slid back into place, blocking the entrance. I turned back to look in front of me, carefully stepping off the staircase when we reached the top. I took in a deep breath, feeling nervous at the prospect of meeting my future headmaster, while Snape took a step forward and knocked on the door three times.

"Enter," came a deep but aged voice from the other side of the door. I pushed away my nerves, which had doubled, at the voice that I could only describe as wise and weathered. I could tell the man on the other side was one to be respected, clearly having been through more than my own eleven years of experience. Snape pushed the door open to reveal a large circular room with a large wooden desk set in front of stairs leading to a second level. My eyes took in the man seated opposite us at the desk.

He appeared to be tall, though I couldn't really tell as he was seated. He was elderly, looking to be well into his nineties, though he didn't look frail. In fact, he looked strong for his age, and I figured that he was hardly a man to be trifled with. If anything, his crooked nose, indicating it had been broken at least twice, was a testament to his experiences in altercations. The most notable of his appearance, however, were his eyes. His eyes were a piercing blue that seemed to open the windows, gazing into your very soul. I felt as if I was being inspected as I moved forwards, as if he was seeing all that was and ever would be of my life. I stood still for a moment, gazing back at the man in front of me, waiting for some sort of sign of approval.

"Please, sit down," he said after several beats of silence, arm sweeping to indicate the chair across from me. I nodded, moving forward to take a seat across from him. He sat silently, continuing to study me, allowing me time to take in his office, using my peripheral vision so to aid my quest without seeming overly interested. A large portrait took up space on the wall behind his desk, a man seen sleeping in the portrait. To my alarm, though I tried to hide it, his nose wrinkled, the arm of the portrait moving up to scratch his nose. The man before me turned, briefly looking at the portrait that caught my attention, before looking at me once more. "Ah, yes. That would be a magical portrait of Armando Dippet, the headmaster to come directly before myself. I imagine this portrait is quite different to those you've seen in the muggle world, is it not?"

"Indeed," I replied, with a nod. "It reminds me very much of a video. Moving muggle pictures, though it would seem you are familiar," I replied, smiling at the older man. He smiled in return, nodding briefly before steepling his hands together.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Nicole. I've been waiting to speak with you. My name is Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts," he told me with another smile, his eyes becoming softer now that the examination was over, or so it seemed. His eyes held a twinkle that made him seem much more approachable and kind.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Headmaster," I replied, smiling in return. He seemed nice enough and sure was likable. "I am curious, however, as to why you've been waiting to speak with me. As far as I'm aware, you remain unaware of my current living conditions."

"Well, aren't you a well spoken one," he commented with a smile. "I suppose it was to be expected," he added, mouth twitching and eyes flickering briefly. The emotion had gone as soon as it came, so I didn't have enough time to register it. I did decide to store the conversation in my memory palace for further analyzing at a later time. "While I do remain, on the whole, unaware of the circumstances surrounding your home life, I was informed of the potential trouble. Beyond that though, you are someone we've been eager to meet."

"Eager sir? Why would that be?" I asked, choosing to skip the conversation of my home life for the time being. The longer I could put off discussing it, the better.

"As you see, you were raised by muggles, though both your parents were magical. It was an interest to me to meet you," he explained, piquing my interest. He had known of my parents, if not directly known them. Perhaps he could tell me something of them- even if it were only their names.

"You seem to know of my parents. I, sadly, know nothing. Could you- could you tell me about them?" I asked cautiously. I heard a cough from behind me and turned to see Snape shaking his head slightly. Turning my attention back to Professor Dumbledore, I noticed that he smiled sadly.

"I am sad to say that I can't tell you much of them. I knew them as students when they attended and walked through these very halls. Their names were Tom Riddle and Alexis Lune. Beyond that, I can't tell you much of them. I could tell you, at a later point, about their school life," he told me with a small smile.

"I would very much appreciate that sir," I told him, filled with happiness. I had the feeling he wasn't being entirely truthful, but I couldn't seem to find it in me to care. After all, he had told me more about them than I had previously known, and he had given an open invitation to talk more about them later.

"Now, on to business. Severus, I take it you must've found a number of disturbing truths to have returned so early," he commented, the twinkle in his eyes leaving to give him a more somber and grave countenance. Snape stepped forward then, seating himself in the chair beside me, leaning forward to brace himself on his elbows.

"Indeed. It would appear that her home life is, in no way, satisfactory. The scene I happened upon was disturbing indeed. Perhaps, if you would like to witness yourself…" he trailed off there, leaving the invitation open to Professor Dumbledore, who nodded.

"Yes, that would be for the best," he said, standing to move towards a cabinet, opening it to reveal a stone basin. He lifted it, moving it to the desk, before turning to Snape. "If you would be so kind," he added, gesturing to the basin. Snape in turn raised his wand to his temple before pulling it away, leaving a silvery strand of… something attached to his wand. He flicked the strand into the basin before moving back and allowing Professor Dumbledore to step up to the basin. "Severus, please wait here with Miss Riddle while I view these memories," he added before pressing his nose to the surface of the liquid. With a jerk, his body lifted before diving into the liquid, disappearing altogether. I looked back to Snape, shock clearly registered on my face.

"It's called a pensieve," he explained quickly, moving to take the seat next to me as we wait. "It allows wizards to view memories of past events. The silver strand you saw was my memory of today's events, which I removed so he could watch what happened." I nodded in response to this, watching the basin that he had literally just been sucked up into.

"Well, magic truly is amazing," I commented, receiving a nod of acknowledgement from him as we waited for Professor Dumbledore to return from his stroll down Snape's memory lane. "So… what's going to happen now?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

"When Professor Dumbledore returns, he will evaluate the severity of your situation, which, is undeniably dire. In these cases, when a home is no longer deemed suitable for a student, the student is typically adopted by a relative or family member. In your case, where there is no such living relative, an adopter needs to be found in the magical world, which is difficult as we don't have orphanages in our world. However, according to Educational Statue 223, a student may be adopted by a professor in such a case. Being that you are about to start your schooling here, this is the route I foresee Professor Dumbledore taking." I nodded, soaking up the information as butterflies began roaming freely in my stomach. While I wanted to be away from my adoptive parents, I was nervous at the prospect of being adopted by a future teacher. Not only would it be slightly awkward in classes and stuff, but I wasn't certain about being sent to live with a stranger.

Thankfully, Professor Dumbledore returned then, being spat out of the basin in reverse of how he entered it. He turned around, his expression grave, and he moved to sit down in his chair. He removed his glasses, running his hand across his face, before replacing them and steepling his fingers. He looked across at us, a serious expression in place.

"Not that I doubted either of you for a moment, but the situation is dire indeed," he commented, looking between the two of us. I shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was going. I wasn't pleased with the idea of my weaknesses being exposed, though I knew it to be necessary in order to ensure my continued survival. "You are not going to return to that couple," he told me after a moment. This reassured me, allowing me to release a breath I hardly knew had been caught in my lungs.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," I muttered, trying to smile.

"You thought we would send you back there?" I heard Snape scoff. I turned to look at him to see a fury settled in his eyes that I had only seen earlier at my house when he took in my injuries. "As if. The thought of sending a child back to that is deplorable," he added, glaring slightly. My eyes widened as I quickly backtracked.

"I didn't mean any disrespect. It's just a relief to hear, even if I already suspected it," I told them quickly. Dumbledore smiled slightly, bowing his head.

"It's quite alright, Nicole. We understand that this has been very stressful on you. We only are interested in what is best for you. As such, I think it's time to discuss your options. Has Severus spoken to you about this?" He asked, causing me to nod.

"Yes sir. He told me that my options were limited, not having any living relatives. He mentioned an Educational Statue-"

"Yes. Educational Statue 223. I think it safe to assume he explained it to you?" He asked, to which I nodded. "I believe this to be your best and only option, however stressful or uncomfortable it may seem to you."

"It seems to be the only option left for me," I replied, frowning slightly as I looked down at the desk before meeting his eyes once more. "I'm willing to go with what you both deem best in this situation. Who would I stay with?" I asked him. He paused at this, considering what he was about to say.

"Considering the circumstances… I can only see one person on the staff that is adequate to both take care of you and aid you in adjusting. You need someone who will understand your circumstance and someone who can help you heal," he told me, looking away. I followed his gaze to see it resting on Snape, who looked up in surprise at Dumbledore.

"Albus! Surely you can't be serious," he replied, looking shell shocked. I resisted the urge to flinch, forcing back my disappointment. Of course I was a little upset at the fact he didn't want me, though I couldn't exactly blame him. After all, who would want to take care of a child carrying so much baggage.

"I am completely serious, Severus," Professor Dumbledore replied calmly. "You are more than capable for the job, and her situation is imperative," he replied, staring at Snape meaningfully. I shifted back in my seat, becoming uncomfortable.

"Albus-"

"Professor, it's fine," I interrupted, shifting again in my seat. "I understand. It's a huge turn of events and it's not something you can exactly force on someone, especially not someone who isn't used to kids."

"How do you-," Snape started but I interrupted him again with a sigh.

"It's obvious that you're used to _teaching_ children, not _living_ with them," I replied, looking back to Professor Dumbledore, feeling uncomfortable once more. "Really, sir," I told him, looking away from Professor Dumbledore to Professor Snape. "I don't want you to feel forced into anything," I told him honestly, maintaining eye contact while trying to seem calm and level headed. _Besides,_ I thought bitterly, _I'm used to not being wanted._ I saw Snape look to Dumbledore, making eye contact. They seemed to have a few silent words before he turned back to me.

"It's not that… I don't want to. I am unused to children and I am not sure if it is best for _you_. If I did think so- If I was absolutely certain-"

"It's settled then," Dumbledore cut in, clapping his hands and smiling. I spun around to look at him, frowning.

"What's settled?" Snape and I asked at the same time, pausing to glance at each other before looking back to Dumbledore.

"You said so yourself Severus that you would take her if you were certain. Well, _I'm_ certain that this will be an arrangement that will benefit you both in the long run. Nicole needs somewhere to be safe. She needs stability and safety. You could use something or someone to care for. This _will_ be for the best. For you both," he told us with a smile. I glanced at Snape again to see him doing the same thing before he sighed.

"If you believe it is for the best, then I shall trust your judgment, Albus," Snape replied, shaking his head. "I'd be… _pleased_ to adopt you, Nicole," he added, turning to me. I smiled in return and couldn't help the surge of happiness that flooded my system. I was _elated_. _Someone_ actually _wanted_ me. For once, I felt as if I might have somewhere to belong. And I can tell you this- it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

"Thank you, sir. If you're sure, then I'd be thankful and am very appreciative of your generous offer," I told him with a smile. I thought about Dumbledore's words for a moment and realized that Snape may be _exactly_ what I needed. I needed someone that wasn't overly emotional, especially since I wouldn't know what to do with that sort of affection. But, I needed someone that did care. I needed someone who could help me and could understand my predicament. I looked back to Dumbledore to see him grinning in return.

"Excellent. In this case, I'll have the necessary papers drawn up. In the meantime, Severus, I believe you should take Nicole to Diagon Alley to fetch her supplies. Unless there was something else you wished to discuss…" Dumbledore spoke, leaving the remainder of his sentence hanging in the air.

"Nothing that can't be discussed at a later time," Snape replied as he stood. "When should we return?"

"As soon as you return from fetching her supplies," Dumbledore replied with a warm smile, turning to me. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Nicole. I shall see you when you return."

"Thank you, headmaster," I told him before following Snape out the door and down the stairs. When we were almost to the bottom, the gargoyle leapt out of the way, allowing us to pass. I followed Snape back down the hall, retracing our steps from earlier, all the while leaving me to try and remember my way. After all, I'd need to learn my way around a huge castle such as this. We walked in silence through the building as I thought about the recent events. It wasn't until we were exiting the entrance hall that I decided to speak.

"I just wanted to… thank you, sir. I know this situation isn't ideal, but I want to thank you for agreeing to take me in," I told him honestly as we headed down the path towards the gate. He glanced sideways at me, lip twitching upwards.

"It is not a problem, Nicole. The situation isn't ideal, but it's something we shall both strive to make the best of. If the Headmaster believes we can make it work, then I'm sure we can," he told me, looking ahead once again. "And please don't feel the need to call me sir. As I'll be your guardian from now on, it is perfectly acceptable to call me Severus outside of the classroom." I smiled in return, thinking it over.

"Alright… Severus," I told him, trying out the name. I decided that I liked it, though it would take some time getting used to. "Where are we going?" I asked as we stepped outside the gates.

"Diagon Alley," he told me, holding out his arm. "It's in London. We'll be apparating into the garden behind the Leakey Cauldron. That's a pub that witches and wizards can access from the Muggle World. It's used as a gateway to access Diagon Alley," he told me. I nodded, taking a deep breath as I readied myself for more apparition. I then took his arm and, moments later, he spun on his heel, sending us back into what felt to be a wormhole. I closed my eyes, keeping a firm grip on his arm, and he on mine.

 **A/N: This story has been updated on 2/23/16 to account for minor spelling and grammar changes. I don't believe anything has changed in these earlier chapters, but I did change a few things around later on.**


	3. A Secret World

Disclaimer: The only things I own are any characters that aren't recognizable from the Harry Potter franchise. All else belongs to JK Rowling.

A Secret World

 _Nicole's POV_

I opened my eyes, ignoring the slightly sick feeling as I took note of my surroundings. I was in a cobblestone alley, facing a brick wall. Snape gave me a quick once over before taking out his wand and stepping forwards. I turned back, looking through a doorway behind me into a dingy pub. When I turned back, I was startled to see an archway appearing in the brick wall, slowly growing until it was nearly fifteen feet tall and nearly as wide. Beyond the gateway stood a cobblestone street with many old fashioned, medieval-like wooden buildings lining either side. There were also large gates at random intervals that held fireplaces, one of which had a green flame burst to life, spitting out a redheaded boy around my age.

"This… This is amazing," I told Severus, looking around. "This is Diagon Alley? It's wonderful."

"I'm glad you seem to think so," he told me as he set forth, entering the crowd. I stayed close to his side, making sure that my arm was brushing along his robes so to make sure I didn't lose sight of him.

"I was wondering about those fireplaces though. They seem to be another type of transportation…" I told him, trailing off. He smiled slightly, glancing at me.

"We use fireplaces as another method of transportation. We have a powder-like substance called floo powder. It's magical properties allow the user to drop it into an open flame in a fireplace connected to the floo network. By speaking your destination and entering the flames, you are then transported to a connecting fireplace at your destination. It's useful both for travel purposes or communication since it can be used in a similar fashion in which only the user's head appears in the other fireplace. It tends to be more secure than letter writing since it's hard to maintain watch of a private fireplace without probable cause." I smiled, thankful that he was my guide into this new world, considering how knowledgeable he was.

"Thanks. Merlin knows I'd be lost without you," I muttered. He smiled wryly at this before pushing forwards once more through the crowd. "So, where to first?"

"I believe our first order of business should be purchasing your wand," he told me as we approached a large building. I frowned at this, worried about the money.

"But Severus- I don't have-," He cut me off then, as if he read my mind.

"Don't worry about money. As your new guardian, it is my responsibility to provide for you. I won't hear anymore on the subject," he added as we stopped in front of a building. "Here we are." I looked up to see an old sign with faded lettering, which read:

 _Ollivander's_

 _Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC_

I smiled slightly at this before following him into the dusty shop. A bell rang as we entered, revealing a narrow room that extended far back. It had four rows of shelves that were lined with seemingly endless boxes. I could only assume that these boxes, piled high to the ceiling, containing many wands. Even though the inside of the shop was dusk and murky, it had an air that screamed of both importance and of age. I knew that this place had seen pivotal moments in many wizards' lives as they received their first wand. We waited for a few moments in silence before Severus stepped forward to ring the bell on the counter, allowing it to release its shrill tone through the shop.

"Ah, surprising to see you here, Mr. Snape," came an aged, gravelly voice. The owner stepped forward, appearing from behind a pile of boxes to reveal the countenance of an old man. His white hair was wild, giving me the impression that he was an eccentric genius among wandmakers. "It's a pleasure to see you again. How is your wand? Ebony with mooncalf blood, twelve and a half inches, sturdy, isn't it?"

"You are correct as always," Snape replied with a smile, fingering his wand. "Always had a wonderful memory. Nicole, I'll be right back. I'm simply going a few stores over to obtain your potions ingredients and your cauldron." I nodded, watching him leave the store before turning to look at Ollivander.

"Splendid. Ah," he said, turning to look at me. I smiled slightly at the elderly man, who exuded a quiet intelligence and wisdom, not unlike Professor Dumbledore. "Miss Riddle. How very intriguing. I see you remind me very much of your father in charms," he told me before looking away at a measuring tape. He fiddled with it before it zoomed out of his reach and began taking all sorts of measurements. "Stick out your wand arm," he added as he turned away to look down the rows of wands. I immediately stuck out my right arm, curious as to what he knew of my father.

"You knew my father, sir?" I inquired, causing him to pause to look at me in sympathy. He turned back to his work, shaking his head.

"Not exactly, my dear. I wouldn't say I knew your father. He was quiet. I do remember him purchasing his first wand at your age. Yew, phoenix tail feather, thirteen and a half inches, rigid. I was quite proud of that wand. It was a fine one indeed. It had a brother that I sold today to a lad entering Hogwarts this year. It's extremely rare to have brother wands, though not unheard of. I believe it was the first for my shop in many centuries," he told me conversationally before he picked a box and brought it back to the counter. He placed the box down and gently removed the wand before holding it out so I could grasp the handle. "Try this, dear. Simply give it a wave." I took the wand from him and waved, as per his instructions, only to have the ladders lining the shelves snap, rungs falling heavily to the floor.

"Whoops," I told him, handing the wand back. He gave me a gentle smile before he flicked his own wand to repair the damage. He simply placed the wand back in the box before climbing one of the ladders and sliding down the aisle out of sight. "As you were saying sir, about brother wands- what does that mean exactly?" I called out, wondering if he could hear me.

"A brother wand," he told me as he slid back into sight, rails squeaking, "simply refers to a wand that shares a wood or core from the same tree or beast." He slid back into sight, quickly dismounting the ladder with another couple of boxes in hand. "In this case, the phoenix that provided the tail feather for your father's wand had given another, which now resides in your classmate's wand," he told me, placing the boxes down. I took the wand he handed me, quickly giving it a wave. This time, half the boxes fell off the wall in the corner, wands clattering to the ground. I winced in response, moving to place the wand back in its box only to find another wand box sitting on top of the open one.

I frowned, moving the beautiful box and replacing the other wand. The box was stunning, covering in four separate colors: scarlet, emerald green, sapphire blue, and a daisy yellow. I blinked before looking around, trying to see where the box may have come from. I looked up at Ollivander to see his back turned as he flicked his wand, sending all the boxes and wands back to their rightful places on the shelves. He turned around then, pausing when he was the box sitting on the table. "How did you get that?" He asked for a moment, eyes narrowed in what could have either been confusion or suspicion.

"I've no idea. I went to put the wand back and this box was just sitting there," I told him, pushing the box towards him. He frowned, lifting it up and glancing between me and the box. He then flicked his wrist, sending the boxes on the table and the beautiful box, back to their proper locations. I watched as the box in question hovered up to the top shelf of the aisle directly in front of us. It gently landed but, as soon as it was released from the spell, it soared back in my direction like a bullet. I caught it by reflex, blinking in surprise as I looked at the box. I looked at Ollivander to see him just as confused as I was.

"Let me see that," he muttered, taking the box from me, which I gladly gave up. He studied the box for a moment before carefully placing it on the desk, unwrapping it. I leaned over to take a look at the wand inside and was awestruck at its beauty. It seemed to be made of two different woods- a base and a handle of two different colors. Ollivander held it carefully before handing it to me. "Well, give it a wave," he told me after I hesitantly took the wand. Uncertain, I gave the wand a flick.

The wand reacted almost instantly, warming up in my hands before shooting multicolored sparks from its end. I could feel the warmth flooding into my body and I _knew_ that it was the one. The silence was broken by quiet clapping, resulting in me turning around to see Severus standing there with a small smile on his face. I turned back to Ollivander to see him appraising me, a smile of his own on his face. "That was curious indeed," he told me as Severus stepped up to pay for the wand. Ollivander put the wand back in the box before handing it to me.

"Curious, sir?"

"Curious indeed," he told me, leaning on the desk with his elbows. "You see, that wand has been in my family for many generations. That wand has been passed down from father to son, searching for an owner. I had given up on ever finding it an owner. That wand was rumored to have been created by Merlin himself for his son. You see, Merlin was an Elemental. I'm sure you know what I mean," he told me, looking at me meaningfully. I turned to look at Severus, silently questioning if I should elaborate to Ollivander. I received a nod in return.

"Yes sir. I know what you mean. He was a powerful one, who could control all four elements. I have the same gift," I told him quietly. Ollivander smiled in response.

"Yes. You see, it was meant for another Elemental that shared his gift- the ability to control all four elements. Imagine his surprise when his son didn't possess the same gift. The four colors on the boxes, the same color sparks you saw, represent each of the four elements. Red, green, blue, and yellow respectively represent fire, earth, water, and air. They are the same colors represented by the Hogwarts houses, each corresponding with their respective traits or stereotypes. As such, should this rumor be believed, it was passed down, never finding a suitable owner. It's curious that _you_ should come to possess this wand, Miss Riddle."

"I understand that it's extremely rare, but I don't understand why it's so curious that _I_ have come to possess the wand," I replied, frowning slightly.

"Perhaps return in a few years time, and I shall tell you more about the wand. For now, I believe you are curious about what your wand is made of, no?" He asked, drawing my attention. I eagerly nodded. "Now, it is interesting as the wand itself embodies all four of the elements. It is a mix of two wand woods and a blend of two cores, unlike any wand ever made in this shop. The wand components are comprised of a Kaya handle, Blue Spruce body, and a blended core of Phoenix Tail Feather and Re'em blood."

I listened to him carefully, examining my wand. It was a deep blue shade for the base of the wand with a pale pink handle. There were different markings carved into the wand, which I found completed the wand. It was beautiful and it was mine. "I'm not familiar with wandlore, sir. What do these different components mean?" I asked, looking up at him. He smiled at my question, pleased that I asked it.

"The Blue Spruce is a strong wood that pairs with strong personalities. It's good in all areas of magic, with the exception of the dark arts. As a stubborn wood, I find it to be a fitting representation of earth," he told me, pointing to the green on the box. "The Kaya wood, however, is associated with logical arts such as Potions, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes. Those that have wands made of Kaya tend to be better in these subjects. These woods often bond with calmer personalities that are more versatile, giving an accurate representation of water," he continued, this time pointing at the blue part of the box. "The first core, Phoenix Tail Feather, represents versatility and power. These wands are adaptable, like the air, and are used for defense. They tend to bond with strong and emotional personalities, representing fire," he added as he pointed to yellow and red respectively. "Finally, you have the Tail Feather and completed wand soaked in Re'em blood. This helps give a boost to all aspects and bonds the different wood and core effects."

I smiled at my wand, admiring its uniqueness. I knew I would favor it as it favored me, using it for the purpose I'm sure Merlin would have used it for- balance. "Now you mentioned the length and flexibility of Se- Professor Snape's wand earlier. I was wondering what these mean and if you could tell me about my wand's own length and flexibility," I told him, roughly appraising my wand to be around ten inches, perhaps a little longer.

"The wand length isn't necessarily important, though a longer wand will normally bond with a taller or more imposing character. Your wand is eleven inches even, showing you to be fairly well rounded. The flexibility of a wand marks how easy or difficult learning spells will be, and also how powerful they will be. The more flexible a wand, the easier it is to learn spells. The more rigid a wand, the more difficult it will be to learn spells, but once mastered, the spells will be extremely powerful. Your wand is rigid, proving to be a difficult wand to master, but well worth the struggle."

I took in all the information, soaking it up. I knew that when we went to go fetch my books, I would be looking for a book on wandlore so to do my own research. It was quite interesting and I couldn't wait to learn spells. "Thank you, sir," I told him quietly. He smiled in return before nodding and retreating into the back of the shop. He paused one the way back, turning around.

"I think we will expect great things from you, Miss Riddle. Great things, indeed," he said before continuing into the back of the store. Turning, I looked to Severus to see him waiting patiently.

"Come," he told me as he moved outside. "I've taken the liberty of purchasing your cauldron, potions ingredients, brass scales, telescope, and crystal vials," he told me as we entered the street once more. I frowned slightly as we rejoined the hustle and bustle, which was in sharp contrast to the pleasantly quiet shop. "I believe the next shop we should visit is Flourish and Blotts," he told me before setting off, destination in mind.

"What's that?" I asked him, keeping close to his side once more as we wove through the crowd.

"It's the bookstore here in Diagon Alley. It is where we'll purchase your books. Over here," he told me before moving to the opposite side of the street. We paused at the store window, looking in to see rows and rows of books. I grinned before darting in, immediately setting off in search of my books. Severus trailed behind me, allowing me to look for the books on my own. While searching, he explained the currency of the Wizarding World, having decided it was something important that I should know. We walked through the store, picking up books here and there. By the end, I took stock of the books that were required, and a few others I picked up along the way, all having been approved by Severus, of course. _Let's see…_ _A History of Magic_ _, check._ _Magical Theory, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ _, check._ _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ _, check._ _Magical Drafts and Potions_ _, check._ _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them_ _, check._ _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ _, check._ _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_ _, check. Looks like I have all the required texts._

Turning my attention to the extra texts, I smiled as I read over the titles. I had found multiple titles that would be useful for me, and a few titles that Severus thought I should pick up to practice should I finish my texts. I had _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 2), The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 3), Hogwarts, a History, Introduction to Wandlore: Understanding Your Wand, The Animal Within, Extraordinary Gifts of the Century_ and _Lost Magic: A Journey of Ancient Branches_. The last two books had information on Elementals, being the main reason for purchase. Pleased with the books I had decided to purchase, Severus and I brought the texts to the counter. He allowed me to pay for them this time so that I could see how the confusing currency worked. As it turned out, it wasn't as confusing as I had thought.

Once we finished paying, Severus took out his wand, flicking it at the packages. They shrunk down in size and he quickly put the packages in his pocket before flicking his wand again, this time aimed at said pocket. "It'll make it easier to carry. I charmed the pocket so our purchases won't fall out," he explained as he started walking away. I followed him silently until we reached our next destination: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. He stopped outside and turned back to face me. "I need to go take care of something. You go ahead and purchase your robes," he told me, handing me more than enough money to purchase the robes. Or at least that's what he said. I turned around, cautiously walking inside to see a woman pinning a set of robes on a boy that appeared to be my age.

"Hello, darling. Why don't you stand on this ladder here. Madam Malkin will be with you in a moment," said the cashier, gesturing to the ladder next to the boy. The woman pinning the robes, Madam Malkin I assumed, turned around and offered a warm smile. I returned it before approaching the ladder and climbing up so to stand next to the boy.

"Hello," he greeted. He had jet-black hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and shocking emerald green eyes. I smiled cautiously, deeming that he was friendly enough to engage in conversation. He had a warm smile, though the most noticeable thing about him was a thin red scar taking up the center of his forehead. It was peculiarly shaped, like a lightning bolt.

"Hello," I returned with a smile. "My name is Nicole Riddle," I told him, sticking out my hand. He took it, running his other hand through his hair so to flatten it over his scar.

"Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you," he replied quietly with a small smile.

"You too, Harry. Is this your first year at Hogwarts too?"

"Yeah," he muttered with a small smile. "I can't wait. I hear it's going to be brilliant!"

"I'm sure it will be. I can't wait to go! I'm new to the wizarding world," I told him with a smile. He perked up at this, looking relieved.

"So are you muggleborn then?" He asked, causing me to pause. I wasn't entirely sure what a muggleborn was, but I could only assume it was a witch born to muggle parents, which I was not.

"Uh, no," I told him with a small laugh. "I was raised by muggles though. My parents are dead. Or at least that's what I was told," I told him with a small, sad smile.

"Oh! I had the same! My parents were killed and I was raised by my muggle Aunt and Uncle," he told me quietly.

"That's horrible," I told him honestly, feeling for my fellow student. "How were they killed? I mean… if you don't feel like sharing…" I told him, trailing off. His eyes widened before he jumped right in, cutting me off.

"No, no, no! It's okay, really. I only just found out how they really died," he told me, frowning. He quickly told me a story of the Dark Lord Voldemort, the man who had murdered his parents. He had been trying to get to Harry, but for some reason, he couldn't kill him. Instead, they parted ways with Voldemort's powers broken, and with Harry bearing a scar. "Or, at least, that's what Hagrid told me," Harry finished his story with.

"Hagrid? Who's he?"

"Oh, he's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. That's him over there," he told me, pointing out the shop window. In front of the window stood a huge man, easily ten feet tall if not larger. I could feel my eyes widen at the sight of him.

"Woah!"

"That's what I said," Harry replied with a smile. We continued talking for a while longer, telling each other more about ourselves. Harry had been rather forthcoming, talking about the mistreatment by his Aunt and Uncle's hand. I had avoided talking about my past, promising that I would tell him at a later point in time. Madam Malkin then tapped him on the shoulder, letting him know he was done. He hopped down with a sigh, looking back up. "Well, I guess I have to go. Hopefully I'll see you at Hogwarts," he told me with a smile, extending his hand once more.

"I hope to see you at Hogwarts too, Harry. Hopefully we'll have classes together. Then it'd be easier at least knowing someone going into this," I told him to which he nodded, before he set off to the front of the store. Within a few minutes, Madam Malkin returned and quickly set about pinning me for my robe size.

Fifteen minutes later found me standing at the front of the store with five pairs of robes, five white button up shirts, five grey v-neck knit jumpers, and five pleated skirts. I paid for them with the money Severus gave me and walked out of the store to see him standing there. I quickly handed back the change. "There's one last place we need to stop," he told me as we continued down the street, stopping in front of a store named Magical Menagerie. I glanced in, rather curious to see what it was, and soon discovered that it was a pet store or something of the sort.

Following Severus in, he explained that most students come to Hogwarts with a pet or familiar of some sort. He decided that he wanted me to be the same, saying he would allow me to choose an animal. After asking for his recommendation, which was an owl, I set off in search of my new familiar. As I walked through the rows, I finally came across a cage in the back with a large Greater Sooty Owl. She was dark black with silvery-grey under feathers. Looking into her eyes, I immediately knew she was the one.

"This is the one you want?" asked Severus as he led her to the cashier. I nodded, looking at the owl within the cage.

"Yeah… she's perfect," I told him as we paid.

"What will you name her?" I studied her carefully, thinking about the name before grinning as it came to me.

"Artemis. Her name is Artemis."

 **A/N: Updated on 2/23/16 to account for some minor spelling and grammatical changes. Note that characters will behave differently from the original series due to changes in circumstances. However, I do hope it isn't completely unrealistic.**

 **~Nicole813711**


	4. Back Into Hell

**Disclaimer: The only things I own are any characters that aren't recognizable from the Harry Potter franchise. All else belongs to JK Rowling.**

Back Into Hell

 _Nicole's POV_

"That'll take some getting used to," I moaned as I started walking forward on shaky feet. Severus and I had just apparated back from Diagon Alley, and I was still feeling a little queasy from the travel. I looked over to Severus to see him smirking at me, shaking his head.

"It's hard for all witches and wizards the first few times. You'll get used to it," he told me as he led the way up the path to Hogwarts. We moved at a slower pace this time as I carried Artemis' cage. He looked at me, glancing at the owl before stopping. "You can let her out so she can join the other school owls in the owlery." I did as he said, releasing Artemis before handing him the cage to shrink down. With that, we set off once more towards the castle, which had already started feeling more and more like home to me.

"So… to Professor Dumbledore's office, then?" I asked him as I followed him up the path to the entrance hall.

"Yes. He should have had enough time to draw up the necessary papers," Severus replied, glancing at me slightly.

"So… what's included in an adoption process? Even though I've been through it once, I wouldn't know," I told him, thinking back to the time I was adopted at age three. I didn't even remember my time in the orphanage, so I couldn't say one way or another if it was good or bad.

"Well, an adoption for the magical world will be a little more complicated than for the muggle world, considering we need to file for two separate worlds. The muggle adoption papers will be simple enough. I'll sign all the necessary papers and, when we return to collect your things, we'll have your… guardians sign as well. The magical adoption will be even simpler."

"What will happen with the magical adoption?"

"Essentially the same thing. The only differences would be that we _don't_ need your guardians' signatures, considering the circumstances, and blood magic is required to make it official. It's simple enough- only a drop of blood on the papers would be required." I nodded, taking it all in as we entered the hallway containing Dumbledore's office.

"Acidpops," I muttered, beating Severus to the punch. He simply looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "What? You were taking too long," I added as we stepped onto the staircase, waiting patiently as it brought us to the top. Like the last time we had been here, Severus stepped forward to knock on the door, and we waited until we heard Dumbledore say, "Enter."

"You're back," he stated, looking up at us over the papers he was holding. "I trust your errands are finished, without any problems."

"Yes sir," I replied with a smile, taking a seat when he offered. Severus sat down next to me, crossing his legs as we waited for Dumbledore to start.

"I have here," he said, indicating the papers he held, "the necessary paperwork to make this adoption official. First, the simplest, we shall complete will be the magical adoption paperwork." With that, he placed the papers in front of us. I glanced at the page briefly to see it was convoluted, reminding me of a contract I would see my… _father_ signing occasionally. "If you need to take a look over-"

"Of course," Severus said, taking the papers. I tried reading over his shoulder, but a lot of it was in small print. I skimmed through as much as I could, but it appeared to be normal. Or as I would think an adoption form would look like. "It appears to be in order," Severus said after several minutes. He extended his hand to Dumbledore as he placed the papers flat on the desk. Dumbledore opened his draw, removing a dagger, and handed it to Severus.

"So you are aware, Nicole, a drop of blood will be required by both of you to make it official," Dumbledore explained as Severus made a small incision on his pointer finger, allowing a drop of blood to fall to the paper. The paper started to glow in the spots that was required Severus sign and, to my amazement, blood-red ink began to appear, signing his name for him. Severus quickly flicked his wand, healing his finger before he turned to me, taking my hand.

" _I'll_ make the incision. No need for any slip ups," he told me as he carefully pricked my finger. I hardly noticed the pain as the dagger nicked me. He moved my hand above the paper, and I watched as the paper glowed before disappearing altogether.

"Where did it go?" I asked as Severus quickly healed my fingers. I glanced between him and Professor Dumbledore in shock.

"It has been filed with the necessary departments in the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry is our form of government," Dumbledore explained quickly as Severus took the muggle adoption papers, looking them over.

"The Ministry of Magic-"

"Is the governing body of the wizarding world. Many countries have their own ministries. Ours is led by the current Minister, Cornelius Fudge. The paperwork has been filed in the separate departments whose jurisdiction this falls under," Dumbledore explained further. I nodded, considering this new information. I had a lot to learn about this world- especially the politics.

"I have so much to learn before school starts," I told him, pulling on my lip slightly. Dumbledore smiled, bowing his head.

"Well, seeing as Severus will now be your guardian, it stands to reason that you'll be spending this next month here, at Hogwarts. You'll have plenty of time to explore the library. The staff will also be more than happy to answer any and all questions you have," he replied. I nodded, smiling slightly as Severus looked up then, finished signing.

"All that is required are the signatures of those wretched people," Severus spoke quietly, trying to mask his anger. It didn't quite work so well, consider that I, and I'm sure Dumbledore as well, could clearly see it.

"Splendid," Dumbledore spoke, clapping as he did so. "Well, I'll leave you to take Nicole to pack her belongings and then show her to her new home. Be sure to be on time to dinner tonight. I'm sure the staff would love to meet her." With that, we nodded, saying our goodbyes before making a swift exit. We walked in silence back down to the gates, the path becoming familiar to me. My stomach began to twist as the nerves returned. I wasn't sure I wanted to face my parents yet. How would they react to the news that they would be rid of me? Would they be glad or would they react in anger?

"Dwelling on what is to come won't make it any easier," Severus spoke, cutting through my thoughts. I looked up at him to see him holding out his arm for me to take. I hadn't even realized we had made it through the gates. I was not ready to face them.

"I know. Sometimes, you can't help but to dwell," I told him, taking his arm all the while resisting the urge to bite my lip. He studied me for a moment.

"I understand. You will not have to face them alone. I'll be there the entire time," he said right before spinning. I shut my eyes, feeling a little more used to apparition this time around, and before I knew it, I was opening my eyes to view my house. I took in the house, narrowing my eyes at the boring outside of the little better than decrepit house. The house number over the door, 13, was peeling. I looked around at the other Grimmauld Place houses, taking note that my old house was by far the worst looking one on the block. I had never really taken notice of it, considering that I had far more stressful and important things to worry about. It made it ten times easier to walk up to the door and unlock it, knowing I was leaving.

"You have some nerve, coming back 'ere," I heard a drunken voice slur slightly. I looked up to see my father enter the room with a bottle of beer in his hand. I narrowed my eyes at him, heading to the basement stairs.

"Yeah, well, I'll be gone soon enough. I'm just collecting my things," I told him. His hand darted forward then, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer to him. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, my fight instinct slowly kicking in.

"You'll take nothing," he replied, squeezing my wrist. I winced, ready to react when a hand roughly grabbed his own wrist.

"Release her," came a low growl. I looked at Severus, slightly shocked. My father looked up at him, flinching back when he made eye contact. He immediately released my wrist, though Severus kept a firm grip on his own. "Nicole, go and pack your things." I nodded and quickly obeyed Severus, moving down the staircase towards my bedroom. I hadn't quite gotten out of earshot before I heard another menacing threat from Severus. "If there's one thing I hate more than anything else in this world, it's people that harm children." I repressed the shiver that went down my spine at the tone in his voice. I could tell he was seriously pissed off, considering that the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, screaming of danger. I knew it wasn't directed towards me, and I sincerely hoped that it never would be.

"-listen here-," I heard my father say before there was a loud _smack_. I winced, wondering who hit who, before continuing to my bed, removing a duffel bag from beneath the bed. Severus could most certainly handle himself. Even if he was the one who was punched, it wouldn't matter, considering he could do far worse with his wand. Comforted by this fact, I continued to pack my bag with the small amount of clothes I had as well as my bath necessities. I then proceeded to bring the bag into the laundry room, carefully removing the wooden door to enter my secret room. _Odd. I didn't think Severus repaired the wall earlier. Oh well. Guess I didn't notice with everything on my mind._

I looked around with a sad smile on my face, taking in the room for what would surely be the last time. It was dusty, being hard to clean without my parents becoming suspicious as to why I was nicking cleaning supplies. It was also a little dank and musty, but I found that I liked it. It had always been comforting, suiting me with its rustic appeal. The mismatched wooden table and chair set that I had taken from my neighbor gave it a uniqueness that was all its own. And I had created it.

I looked over at the wall, taking in my many drawings from over the years. I was a decent artist, and I prided myself in my ability to both sketch and paint scenes from memory. Many of my art teachers over the years had praised my alarmingly accurate recollection and recreation of scenes. I moved to the wall, taking down a few of my favorites- mainly of animals seen at the zoo on one class trip- and neatly placing them in the bag. I looked at the others that I knew I wouldn't keep and decided to give them a proper send off. I quickly pointed my finger at each individual drawing, setting a single corner aflame. Picking up my art supplies and packing them, I watched the pictures burn until only ashes and soot remained on the floor.

I then turned my attention to the bookshelf in the corner of the room. I had a surprising number of books to take, despite having to buy them on my own, or having received them as gifts from school mates. I ran my finger over some of the titles, reminiscing some of my favorite works from literary geniuses such as Shakespeare and Poe. Packing the books away, I looked around the room, which now looked disturbingly empty, as if someone had decided to store pieces of furniture and then promptly forgot about them.

I stepped back, taking in the room. My foot stepped on something hard then, causing me to look down in surprise. Lying there was the knife nicked from the kitchen. I gingerly picked it up, eyeing it carefully as I sat down in one of the chairs. I debated whether to take it with me or leave it behind. For the past two years, it had been my weapon. It was my protection. It symbolized the time in my life when I needed to be strong and I needed to be my own warrior. When I needed to fight for survival. It represented everything I had been the past few years, and everything I was right now.

 _To take it, or not. That is the question,_ I thought as I studied the knife. It was a good kitchen knife, though in no way extraordinary. In a way, it was much like me. Sturdy, though nothing exceptional. It stood in the background, out of sight and out of mind until it was needed. And for some reason, I felt very much like that in this house over the years. Out of sight and out of mind until I was used and abused, forced to do their menial tasks.

"Not anymore," I whispered, watching the knife as it glinted in the dim lighting. "That's not going to happen anymore. I'm leaving and I'm not looking back. Severus is kind enough to take me in. My life won't be that way. I won't be that way. I won't let it." With that, I stood up, gripping the handle tightly. Looking down at the table in front of me, I pulled the knife back before driving it as far into the wood as I could muster. The knife, kept sharp by my due diligence, bit in the wood, sinking to the handle. I felt a surge of relief then, having decided to let go of the knife. I was letting go that part of my life, letting go of the protection. I didn't need it anymore. I no longer had to remind myself of the trial I faced, and I no longer needed physical protection from such horrors. Now I had Severus. I wasn't sure how I knew exactly, but I was sure that I wouldn't need to worry about things like that anymore. I knew that, while not the most emotional person ever, he wouldn't do what my parents did. He wouldn't abuse me. If anything, he would be my shield now. My new protection. I had no need for a knife if I had an impenetrable shield.

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye," I told the room, feeling rather sentimental as I stepped back. I silently looked at the table, admiring my handiwork. It no longer looked disused. In fact, the knife and disrupted dust seemed to give it character. I felt it to be a fitting departure. With that, I turned my back on the room, sliding the wooden entryway back into place as I left. I walked through the laundry room and into the basement, giving the room a quick once over. Deciding that I had everything, I walked upstairs, struggling slightly under the weight of the duffel bag. "Severus- I'm done!" I called when I reached the landing, realizing that Severus and my parents were nowhere in sight.

"The living room, Nicole." I followed Severus' voice into the living room. The sight I saw made me pull up short as I took it in, only to burst into laughter seconds later.

Severus stood in the center of the living room, adoption papers held in hand. I could see that he had acquired the necessary signatures, if his victorious smirk was anything to go by. Even better was the sight of my now ex-guardians sitting tied up to wooden chairs dragged in her from the kitchen. My _mother_ was unconscious, head lolled to the side. My father on the other hand was wide awake, one eye extremely swollen as he glared at Severus. His face was red, where I'm sure Severus had punched him several times if his eye was anything to go by.

"Well, I see you were busy," I commented to him, discreetly looking him over. He was fine, meaning I could only assume that the smacks of flesh on flesh had been _him_ punching my father and not the other way around.

"Busy indeed. Have you finished packing?"

"Yeah," I told him, handing him the duffel bag when he gestured. He quickly shrank it and pocketed it as he had our purchases in Diagon Alley.

"Our business here is finished. Come, Nicole," he said as he turned, crossing the living room and exiting into the hall.

"What about them?" I called out to him, looking over my shoulder.

"Leave them. They'll find a way out eventually," his voice called back. I smiled in return, pausing to admire the damage he had done to my father's face. I wasn't quite sure what would await me in this new life, but I knew it would be worth it. I knew it would be one hell of an adventure, and I knew that no matter the trials ahead, I would come to be very happy indeed that Severus decided to adopt me. I looked at my father, smiling wickedly at him.

"Well, I'm leaving. This is goodbye," I told him, to which he glared. His bindings held him back as he resisted, and he mouthed obscenities, though no sound came forth. I could only assume Severus used magic to keep him from talking. "I'm going on a journey now. I'll have a new life. A better life. I suppose I should thank you for that. If you weren't such a prick, I wouldn't have been adopted by Severus. Who knows what may have changed then. So thanks, and see you around," I told him, turning to walk out the door. I paused at the entrance though, turning back to see him struggling. "One more thing…"

Exiting the house, I smiled upon seeing Severus standing at the base of the steps. He looked up at me, one eyebrow raised. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, feigning innocence, though a malicious smirk started to spread across my face.

"I heard a rather loud noise, followed right after my a loud groan of pain," Severus replied, giving me a look that I knew meant to spill the beans.

"Let's just say that I hit him where it hurt," I told him, wickedly smiling. Severus gave a small shake of his head, lips curling upwards ever so slightly.

"While I don't condone violence…" he started, trailing off slightly, "... I can agree that it was well deserved." He offered his arm then, and I took it gratefully, smiling.

"Yeah… well, off we go. Here's to one door closing and another opening." Severus smiled, tilting his head in agreement before spinning on his heel, whisking us far away from 13 Grimmauld Place.

 **A/N: Updated on 2/23/16 for minor spelling and grammatical changes.**


	5. A New Life

Disclaimer: The only things I own are any characters that aren't recognizable from the Harry Potter franchise. All else belongs to JK Rowling.

A New Life

 _Nicole's POV_

"Welcome to my- our- new living quarters," Severus said as he pushed the door open. I was staring in awe at the door that had magically appeared from behind the portrait of Merlin. The door swung open to reveal a rather large living room, or so I could assume it to be. There was a fireplace on the opposite end with a few relics scattered on the mantle, one of which appeared to be an ornate dagger. The room was beige with a black and red patterned floor rug. The floor itself seemed to be marble, contrasting nicely with the darker floor rug. Across from the fireplace sat a black leather armchair with a red throw pillow. To one side sat a small glass table with a lamp on it. Between the armchair and mantle sat a large glass coffee table. Forming a U-shape on either side of the coffee table sat two other black leather additions. The far one, which rested against the wall, was a large sofa with five individual cushions that most certainly could hold as many people, if not more. Opposite the sofa sat a love seat. Both were adorned by matching red throw pillows.

"It's wonderful," I told him honestly, looking around at the charming and aesthetically pleasing room. "I love it." I turned to look at him to see him smiling slightly. I had to admit, I was deeply impressed by the quarters thus far. I had had some reservations when I had found out that the quarters were situated in the dungeons, of all places, which turned out to be far larger than I imagined. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked the feel and could see myself feeling at home here.

"I'm pleased to know you approve," he replied as he moved to a hallway situated on the opposite end along the same wall as the mantle. I followed him down the hallway to see four separate doors. "These first two doors contain my study, on the left, and my lab, on the right. I simply ask that you knock on the study door before entering. The lab, however, is my own private lab where I often experiment. As such, it is forbidden unless I give you express permission," he told me, leveling me with serious stare. I nodded and he turned back around. "These last two doors are our bedrooms. The left is my own and the right is your own. My bedroom will follow similar rules as my study. If you need to speak with me, knock and wait for permission to enter. I will, of course, extend the same courtesy to you," he explained before opening the door to my new bedroom.

I entered the room to see it was completely white, with no color. It was adorned with simple furniture, also white, and I felt almost blinded walking in. The opposite wall had a window with a view of the lake, which I found to be oddly calming. I smiled at the sight, knowing that I would love it here after a little bit of work to make it my own. "It's wonderful," I told him honestly.

"Yes, well, it is yours to do what you wish with. You may decorate however you wish," Severus told me as he returned my duffel bag and school supplies to their correct sizes, placing it on my bed.

"How do I do that?" I asked him, glancing around curiously.

"Simple. Develop a design within your mind. You then exit your room and close the door. When you re-enter, the room will be as you designed. Within reason, of course."

"How's it do that?" I asked in wonder, a smile spreading on my face.

"Hogwarts, though a castle, is sentient in a manner. It works to provide for the students as the founders created it to. There are many secrets to the castle- rooms and passages that change to benefit the user. You'll most likely discover some of these secrets over the course of your seven years. One such room being the various staff quarters. All of them change to meet the individual staff member's taste and needs," he explained. I smiled, patting the wall of the room with a newfound appreciation for the castle.

"This is amazing. Thank you," I told him, turning to him. He gave a small smile before nodding his head.

"I'll leave you to unpack and settle in. We're leaving to head to dinner at 4:50, so please be punctual," he told me, stepping outside the room.

"Yeah, 'course," I told him as he left with a nod, leaving the door open. I sat down on the bed, staring around the room for a moment as I thought about everything that had happened today. In a twelve hour period, I had gone from the girl being abused by her adoptive parents to having a new home and a new life in a brand new world. It was unbelievable everything that had changed. I heard a hoot and quickly turned to look at the doorway just in time to see Artemis swoop in. She halted, hovering before settling down on my shoulder, nuzzling the side of my face. Smiling, I stroked her feathers as I looked around the world. "Well, it's you and me. We're both new to this, eh?" I asked her, receiving a hoot in response. "We'll tackle this together then." She hooted again and I stood up, riffling through our purchases until I had found the treats. I gave her one and watched as she gave another hoot before taking off. Smiling, I turned back to the room, trying to think of a design.

"That's brilliant," I muttered to myself after a few moments of thinking. Closing my eyes, I thought hard on the new design for my room as I exited the room, shutting the door. Taking a deep breath, still concentrating on the design, I opened my eyes, resting my hand on the door handle. Bracing myself, I opened the door and entered to see that the room had completely changed to meet my specifications. The opposite wall was now one large thick glass wall with several thick shades and curtains that could be pulled down to cover the wall should I feel the need. With the shades opened, the water filtered in a greenish light, giving the white walls and ceiling a green tinge. The floor was a lighter wood, probably a white oak. The bedding appeared to be silver and a deep emerald green. The bookshelf along the left wall appeared to be between cherry and walnut, with a nightstand next to the bed in the same type of wood. Next to the desk stood a large wardrobe, also in the same type of wood. The wall on the right was largely empty with the exception of the door leading to, presumably, the bath, and a large desk that I could study at. It had a pedestal beneath with three draws which I could use to hold my art supplies, as well as having a shelf above for various knicknacks.

"This is brilliant," I muttered in awe, smiling widely. "Thanks Hogwarts," I added as I moved to the bathroom door, opening it. The bathroom was beautiful and full marble with a large tub the size of a jacuzzi. I took a quick look at the porcelain toilet before backing out of the door and into the main room. Moving back to my bed, I opened my duffel bag and began to unpack. I quickly got my clothes settled into the wardrobe and moved my bathing necessities to the bath. My next item of focus was placing my books, both new and old, onto the bookshelf. With those taking up the top two shelves, I then moved on to unpacking my art supplies, sticking them in the pedestal under my desk. I then removed my wand box and placed it on the shelf above the bed. The rest of my supplies were unpacked and placed on the bottom two shelves of my bookcase for now, and the owl cage set aside in the corner of the room. That being done, I quickly set about putting my robes and uniforms away before sitting down to write a list of items I would still need to acquire for the school year.

With that being done, I quickly took a look at the clock above my bed, taking note that the time was ten after four. Keeping that in mind, I moved to the wardrobe, trying to decipher what to wear. While I had been abused at home, my clothing situation had been much better. My parents had refused to let me out of the house without looking good. After all, they figured it would leave a poor impression with the other parents and with my teachers. Smiling, I quickly pulled out an outfit and took it with me to the bathroom.

Showering quickly, I carefully washed my hair and body of the dust and dirt accumulated throughout the day's events. I was finished within twenty minutes, having rested under the water for a bit in enjoyment of the warm water. After showering, I toweled dry my body and hair as best as I could before moving to the bundle of clothing. I quickly pulled on the black skinny jeans, black sneakers, and blue button down shirt. With that, I turned to the mirror to stare at my reflection. My light blue- almost grey- eyes stared back at me as my damp black hair clung to my cheeks. Sighing, I took up the towel and continued patting it dry until the ends began to curl around themselves naturally. I smiled in satisfaction as I moved to look at the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. Turning, I appraised my outfit. Something was off- it wasn't complete.

 _Aha!_ I thought to myself, realizing exactly what was missing. I quickly raced out of the bathroom, skidding to a halt at the wardrobe and opened it, reaching inside to grab a black tie. My style had always been more hipster, and I had many ties that I used to complete many an outfit. In this case, my narrow black tie was used as I quickly tied it into a loose but straight knot. I adjusted it, making it look more casual and took a step back with a smile. _Finished_ , I thought with a smile before turning back to the bathroom.

I finished washing up, exiting the bathroom to see that it was half past four. With that in mind, I knew I would have twenty minutes until I had to meet Severus in the living room, which seemed to be more of a common room for our living quarters. I paused, briefly wondering what to do before the answer came to me. I quickly moved to my bookshelf and removed my copy of _Hogwarts, A History_.

By the time I had finished the first chapter, which gave a brief overview, I had many questions in my mind. Questions about the founders and the history, of the houses and the rules, and most importantly, of all the interesting things in the castle. The Great Hall was briefly mentioned, saying it was a wonder to behold, and I couldn't wait to go to dinner. Looking up at the clock, I saw that it was 4:47. I quickly shut the book, placing it on my night table before getting up and leaving the room, closing the door behind me. I moved into the common room and sat down on the sofa, waiting for Severus to appear.

"Good. You're on time," I heard a few minutes later, looking up to see Severus entering the room. He was in his black vest and frock coat, robes left behind for the evening. I glanced at the clock to see it was ten to five on the nose, before standing and following him to the exit. We exited the quarters into the hallway, pausing as he ensured that the door and portrait closed behind us. With that, we began our walk through the dungeon corridors.

"So, how many staff members do you think'll be there?" I asked, nervously playing with the cuffs on my shirt. Severus raised an eyebrow, glancing at my fidgeting before turning to look forward.

"All of them. We are only a few short of twenty in number," he informed me as we started up the staircase. I started becoming more and more nervous, though I reined it in and pushed my nerves aside. _Focus on remaining calm,_ I thought to myself.

"That's quite a number. The same amount of subjects are taught here, I'd imagine. Speaking of, what class do you teach?" I asked him, unable to remember him mentioning it. He smiled in response.

"Potions," he replied as we made it to the entrance hall. We crossed it, moving to the large wooden doors. He pushed them open and we walked inside. The Great Hall was indeed a wonder to behold. It was beautiful, with an enchanted ceiling to look like the one outside. The ceiling currently showed the afternoon sky above hundreds of candles floating in midair. I smiled softly, looking forward once more while keeping the impressed look off my face.

Following Severus, I walked through the hall and up to a dais upon which a long table sat. I could only presume this was the staff table. Glancing at the sides of the hall, I could see four large tables pushed to the sides, presumably where the students would sit during the year. Turning my eyes back to the front of the hall, I saw Dumbledore give me a gentle smile, which I returned, as we walked around the table, approaching him. Dumbledore gestured to the seat on his right, which I gratefully took, allowing Severus to sit to my right.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," I greeted him.

"Hello, Nicole," he replied, smiling once more. He looked over my head, making eye contact with Severus briefly, though I pretended not to notice or be interested. Instead, I allowed my eyes to wander, taking in the other occupants at the table. "As many of you know," Dumbledore began, addressing the staff, "we received an alarming message of the injury of one of our potential students. I had sent out Severus to investigate this alarm and found that the student's home was not a fitting place to live. As such, Severus has kindly agreed to adopt her. It is my honor to introduce you all to Miss Nicole Riddle." Whatever I had expected- it was not this.

As Dumbledore was speaking, many of the staff looked sympathetic, glancing at Severus with soft smiles. As soon as he mentioned my name though, some expressions changed. While most remained impassive to this, a few showed shock and alarm. I frowned, wondering at the change in certain professors. Frowning at my plate, I decided to commit it to memory. It would be something to dwell on at another time.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Riddle. I'm Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration Professor here at Hogwarts," an older woman said, smiling at me from the other side of Dumbledore. I smiled in return, shifting my full attention to her as I straightened, shaking her hand.

"It's wonderful to meet you Professor McGonagall," I replied, trying to judge the type of professor she would be.

"I'm proud of you, Severus. You're doing the right thing by this young lady," she commented with a soft smile. Severus nodded, making some sort of grumble of acknowledgement. I looked at him passively, though I was surprised. It appeared as if, as closed off as he was around myself and Dumbledore, he was ten times more so in front of the other staff members. _Curious_.

"Yes, Severus has been wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better resolution," I told her, to which she beamed. It seemed that she had already taken a liking to me, something that I hoped all the professors would do. After all, they all seemed genuinely kind, and an in with the teachers could prove advantageous in the years to come.

"You're rather eloquent," Professor McGonagall commented with a smile. "I can always appreciate that. I'm sure you'll make a fine student, indeed."

"A fine student, there is no doubt," came a squeaky voice from McGonagall's other side. I looked around to see an extremely short elderly male professor seated at the table. He was smiling broadly, laughing a bit, and he seemed to be a genuinely happy fellow. "Filius Flitwick, Charms Professor," he added towards me, offering to shake my hand. I took his hand and smiled back, greeting him much in the same manner as the dinner appeared on the table.

The meal was peaceful and quite nice, with plenty of food of all sorts. I had some steak with mashed potatoes, as well as having tried a new drink- pumpkin juice. It was very popular in the wizarding world, and I could soon see why, considering how amazingly delicious it was. Throughout the course of the meal, I was able to meet almost all the professors, having wonderful conversation with them about their individual subjects. They each gave me a general overview of their subjects, to which many of them interested me. There were many names, all of which I was determined to commit to memory considering I would have them as professors sooner or later. In fact, I had met with all the professors of my main subjects, with the exception of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

I was currently in the midst of talking with Professor McGonagall about Transfiguration, long after dinner had finished. She was explaining many practical uses of transfiguration, as well as a few of the lessons that we will have over the course of the seven years. It was proving to be quite an interesting subject that I would definitely be reading up on later, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, glancing over my shoulder to see a shaky man, in his thirties, wearing a turban. He seemed nervous, so I offered a small smile, which was returned with a forced one. I fought off the urge to frown as I studied the professor, wondering who he was.

"Q-Q-Quirinus Q-Q-Quirrell, Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts Pro-fessor. It's a p-pleasure to meet you, Miss R-Riddle," he spoke with a stutter as if he was fighting to get the words out. His smile remained strained as he stuck out his hand. Something set off red flags in my mind as my hairs began to stand up. I frowned, ignoring the warning signs as I reached out, grasping his hand. The reaction was immediate.

As soon as I touched his hand, a sharp pain ripped through me, travelling up my arm to my body. I pushed my seat out, doubled over as I fell to the floor, convulsing. The pain was searing through me, almost as if I was being burned from the inside out. I began coughing, pushing myself up onto all floors. Opening my eyes, I saw that I was spitting out blood all over the floor. Black spots were appearing in my vision as I tried to stave them off, looking around wildly. I could see the professors standing over me, Severus and Dumbledore kneeling down on either side of me. Quirrell stood above me, looking just as worried as the others, but there was a glint in his eyes that kept my hairs standing on end. It was wrong. He was wrong. I curled inward on myself as another jolt of pain ripped through me, the black spots becoming larger. With a final huff, I felt my eyes roll up into the back of my head as my vision faded to black.

 _This is not how I envisioned this night going,_ was my last thought as I drifted off into the comfortable abyss of unconsciousness.

 **A/N: Updated on 2/23/16 for minor spelling and grammatical changes. I may have reworded a few parts, but the content is largely the same.**


	6. Dark Magic

**Disclaimer: The only things I own are any characters that aren't recognizable from the Harry Potter franchise. All else belongs to JK Rowling.**

Dark Magic

 _Nicole's POV_

When I woke, the first thing I was aware of was the severe ache in my muscles. I suppressed a groan as I relaxed on the soft surface, eyes closed. There were voices around me, whispering softly, and so I did my best to pretend as if I was sleeping until I could figure out where I was. I carefully thought back, trying to remember what happened. _Dinner. I was at dinner with the professors. Then Quirrell. We shook hands. I fell and was in pain._ I winced at this, unable to suppress the shudder at the memory of the pain that had ripped through my system.

"She's awake!" I heard an excited whisper interrupt a conversation. The voice was female, and I found myself curious as to who was currently around me. Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking through the bright light, trying to make out the figures before me. Three blurry figures hung directly in front of me in my field of vision, on either side of the bed I was lying in. A fourth stood back a ways, silently watching.

"Nicole," one figure said, jerking my attention back to the figure in question. I blinked, focusing in on the figure to realize it was Severus standing above me, with Dumbledore stood next to him. To my left was a woman that I had seen at dinner, the matron. Her name was… Madame Pomphrey, if I remembered correct, and she was in charge of the Hospital Wing. "How are you?" Severus asked, bringing my attention back to him. He looked mildly worried and angered, and he wasn't trying to hide it.

"I'm alright," I told him, trying to sit up. It was more effort than I thought, considering my abdominal muscles were shot. Severus stepped forward after watching me struggle and put a hand on my back, guiding me into a seated position. "Thanks," I muttered. "I'm a little sore and my muscles ache, but am otherwise alright. We're in the Hospital Wing," I stated, more than questioned at the end, looking to Severus for confirmation. He simply nodded.

"Just an ache, you say?" Madame Pomphrey piped up from my other side, drawing my attention to the older woman in her forties or fifties. "I find that hard to believe. You tore and pulled quite a few muscles while thrashing," she explained, narrowing her eyes at me. I gave her a small smile, realizing that her narrowed eyes weren't out of anger, but in a stern yet caring manner. It was, what I imagined, a motherly gesture would be, her way of warning me to fess up.

"Truthfully, it _is_ just an ache," I told her, stretching my arms. "I have a high pain tolerance," I told her, causing Severus' eyes to narrow.

"Nicole, we were wondering if you could shed anymore light on the situation," Dumbledore explained. "What do you remember?"

"Not much," I told him, frowning as I glanced away, considering it. My eyes fell on the fourth figure that I hadn't bothered to take note of. Quirrell stood at the end of my bed, quite a few feet away. I felt my eyes narrowed and my lips curl into a snarl. "What is _he_ doing here?" I hissed, curling my hands into fists. Dumbledore remained calm while Severus put a hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place.

"Nicole, calm yourself. Tell us what happened," he told me in a somewhat reassuring tone. Eyes still narrowed distrustfully at Quirrell, I relaxed and rested my back against the headboard of the bed.

"I remember _him_ tapping me on the shoulder. We exchanged greetings and then shook hands. While doing so, I began to slowly start feeling an enormous amount of pain. I fell to the floor, convulsing, and then I blacked out," I told them, watching as Quirrell frowned.

"Yes- I was afraid you'd say that," Dumbledore commented with a sigh. "Sadly, we know no more than you do. We've questioned Professor Quirrell-"

"-thoroughly," Severus interrupted, narrowing his eyes at Quirrell. They made eye contact briefly only for Quirrell to look away in fear.

"Yes. He had nothing to do with the occurrence. We're not certain what sort of hex was placed upon you, though we think it may have been a hex with a delayed reaction. Perhaps placed on you while you were at Diagon Alley." I frowned at this, taking in what Dumbledore was saying.

"Why would anyone want to hex me? Is there anyway to track it?" I asked, glancing around at the three adults while purposely ignoring Quirrell.

"I'm afraid not. Whatever hex was used seemed to be fast burning. The residual magical signature was gone by the time we brought you here to check up on you," Severus replied, causing me to frown. So not only did someone want to attack me, but they managed to do so and get away with it! It angered me, and I knew I wouldn't rest until I figured out exactly who wanted to hurt me.

"But why would anyone want to hex me? I've no enemies as far as I'm aware of. I'm new to this world," I told them before pausing. "Unless my parents had enemies. In that case, this hardly is a one time thing, is it?" I asked, suddenly becoming slightly worried. I was only eleven, in a new world full of magic, all the while not being trained in my own. How could I hope to defend myself if there was potentially someone out there with a grudge against me?

"We can't think of any such person," Dumbledore broached, glancing at Severus. I frowned at that, realizing that they both knew something. "But you are correct in that this could happen again. As such, you'll be safe at Hogwarts, though I ask that you remain in the company of a professor or tell a professor where you're going at all times." I nodded in response, understanding the reasoning. A cough interrupted the silence then, causing us to look up at Quirrell.

"Well, I'm s-s-sorry that our first m-m-meeting turned sour, Miss R-Riddle. I hope y-you're alright," he told me, his stutter once again in full effect. I gave him a nod in return, acknowledging his words. He smiled at me, though it seemed… off. "I'll t-take my l-l-leave now," he told us, bowing his head to Professor Dumbledore before exiting the Hospital Wing. As soon as he was gone, Severus walked to the door, looking out into the hallway. He quickly closed the doors before flicking his wand.

"I thought he'd never leave," Severus commented as he turned around, walking the short distance back to my bed.

"Indeed. I don't think he'll suspect us," Dumbledore replied, turning back to me. I blinked, confusion starting to settle in as I listened to the conversation.

"I'm sorry- what? Obviously I'm missing something." Dumbledore smiled in response, shaking his head slightly and glancing to Severus.

"After you… fainted, Severus took it upon himself to bring you up here, with myself, Professor Quirrell, and Madame Pomphrey following. Severus then confronted Professor Quirrell himself using Legilimency, only to discover that Professor Quirrell had nothing to do with your predicament. I myself tried and found nothing," Dumbledore explained, causing me to frown. Wasn't that pretty much what they _just_ said? "However, Professor Quirrell has been acting quite different since his trip to Albania, and his return to Hogwarts. We recently decided to give him the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, though we are suspicious of his behavior. I have no doubt that he is somehow involved in the attack on you."

"Which is why you were pretending he was completely in the clear. You have no proof and nothing to hold him with," I finished, nodding my head. "But is this a one time thing? Do you think I'll be in danger?"

"No," Severus quickly replied, shaking his head. "He'd be a fool to do something again. He knows Professor Dumbledore suspects him, and he knows _not_ to risk angering me any further by pulling a similar stunt." I smiled slightly at that, wishing I had been awake to see what Severus had done to Quirrell. After all, he had beaten the piss out of my father, so I could assume his anger was manifested in a similar manner with Quirrell.

"Wish I had've seen that. You don't think it'll be a problem, though?"

"No. If it is indeed him, or if he is involved, he's risked quite a lot by pulling that stunt once. He won't do it again," Dumbledore confirmed, setting me at ease. "I do advise that you steer clear of him. Any questions about defense can and should be put to Severus, rather than Quirrell. And that includes during the school year."

"Of course," I told them, giving a small chuckle. "I don't have a death wish, or anything."

"I think a more important question," spoke Madame Pomphrey, startling me. I had forgotten she was even here, "is what was used on her? That wasn't a curse or hex I was familiar with."

"No, it wasn't," Dumbledore commented, looking down and thinking deeply. I sat back, watching them think, unable to help considering how my knowledge of magic was zilch at the moment.

"It was very similar to the cruciatus curse, though I didn't see any wand movement or incantation," Severus commented.

"No. Perhaps it _is_ delayed. He could have done it earlier," I suggested, causing them to look at me. "He was down the table from me, at the end. He could've done it without anyone realizing. Anyway, what was that curse you mentioned?"

"It's a possibility," Dumbledore mumbled before looking grave. "The Cruciatus Curse was the one Severus mentioned. It's a horrible curse, one of the three first class illegal curses. It causes the victim to suffer unbearable pain for the duration of the curse." I felt my eyes widen as I listened, realizing that it did indeed sound _a lot_ like what was used on me.

"It's called an Unforgivable. For, using an unforgivable, truly is such," Severus added.

"So, you're telling me, that he probably used a modified Cruciatus Curse?" I asked, watching as they gave me grave looks. "Seriously?"

"We are very serious," Dumbledore replied, bowing his head. "For now, let us put it from our minds. We shall remain careful and vigilant of Professor Quirrell's doings until we have found proof of wrongdoing. Nicole, Severus, I shall retire to my quarters now. Good evening to you both, and you as well Madame Pomphrey." With that, Dumbledore left the three of us alone.

"How is her condition? Will she need to stay overnight?" Severus asked Madame Pomphrey after Dumbledore left, glancing at me with concern every so often.

"She will be fine, Severus, as I've told you already," Madame Pomphrey quipped back as she moved to a cabinet, removing a few potions. "She will not need to stay overnight, though I do have a few potions for her to take."

"Don't worry about the potions, Poppy. Just tell me what she needs. I have plenty of potions in my stores that I can provide her with," Severus replied, interrupting her. Poppy nodded and turned around, appraising me.

"Well, first thing I'd do is apply healing paste for her bruises. Then I would give her some Nerve-Repair every six hours to mend the damage done to her nerves and muscles. Have a few calming draughts on hand in case she experiences any residual effects of the curse. Considering it's similar to the Cruciatus, it's possible," she added the last part in with a mutter. "Finally, right before bed, give her both dreamless sleep and muscle relaxant. That should keep her from potentially moving the wrong way in her sleep. Muscle Relaxant also might be another potion to have on hand should she experience any residual."

"Excellent. All of those are in my stores," Severus cut in smoothly. "If I may take her now, it's been a stressful day, and I'm sure Nicole wishes to rest."

"Of course. Feel better, Nicole. It was wonderful seeing you again, though I hope the next time I see you is under better circumstances," she told me, smiling warmly. I found that I would really come to like most, if not all, of these wonderful staff members.

"Thanks, Madame Pomphrey," I told her as I shakily got to my feet. I wobbled a bit, finding it hard to stand, and Severus immediately appeared at my side.

"Perhaps we could use your floo, Poppy?" Severus suggested as he helped support my weight. She nodded and took us over to the fireplace.

"So I guess I'll get to try out the Floo Network, then?"

"Yes, but we'll do it together this time, seeing as you're injured," he told me, before reaching into a bag and pulling out a dark power substance. With that we stepped into the fireplace. "Severus Snape's Private Quarters, Hogwarts," he called out as he dropped the powder into the fireplace. I shut my eyes as bright green flames shot up, licking at our skin and clothes. They didn't burn, and soon I found us spinning wildly, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut. When the motion stopped, I pitched forwards, Severus barely able to stop my motion in time.

"Well, that was fun," I commented bitterly, slightly put out at nearly falling flat on my face.

"It's easier when you're uninjured. Come, let me get you into bed and then I'll return with the potions," he told me, guiding me over towards my room. He threw the door open and stopped short, staring out the glass wall directly across from us. I grinned in triumph, watching as the fish swam by, even a giant squid at one point. "I see you've utilised your space quite well. It's an admirable view and a pleasant design," he told me as he led me over to the bed, having recovered quickly enough.

"Wait- wardrobe first," I told him, and so he helped me maneuver over to the wardrobe. I quickly removed a tank top and pajama pants before walking with him to the bathroom. "I'll be fine to change." With that he left the room, closing the door behind him, and I sat on the toilet. I yanked off the loose tie before quickly shedding my clothing and pulling the pajamas on, though my progress was hindered by the fact I had to use the toilet to support most of my weight. I waited for another minute before a knock came at the door.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah," I called back out to Severus and watched as he opened the door. He quickly helped me up and brought me over to the bed, having me sit down. He then placed a bunch of vials and containers on the bedside before picking one and turning back to me.

"This is the bruise paste. It'll heal your bruises. I'll help you with the bruises on your back and arms, and you can apply paste anywhere else that's bruised," he told me, moving to stand behind me. I didn't hesitate to lift my tank top, waiting for him to apply it. He began to do so quickly and efficiently, though the paste was cool to the touch. It soon began to heat up to the point that it was uncomfortable before the paste disappeared altogether.

"Why's it do that? Heat up and then disappear?" I asked him as he continued applying it to different locations.

"The paste starts out cool and rapidly heats due to the reaction between the damaged skin and the paste. The heat is expelled from the reaction, which the paste then absorbs, heating it drastically. Essentially, the reaction and healing process is burning off the paste, which is why it heats to the point that it disappears," he explained as he began working on my arms. I nodded, smiling as I absorbed the information. I loved learning all these new amazing things, and I couldn't wait to learn more from my books. "There. Done. Now this is the nerve repair. Take it now," he told me, handing me a vial of an orange substance. I quickly ingested it before sitting back, starting to feel tired.

"I'm exhausted," I told him, trying to blink the sleep away.

"That would be the Nerve-Repair. You'll be exhausted as long as the potion is in effect, speeding up the healing process of your body. You should go to sleep. You can apply the rest of the bruise paste when you wake up," he told me, carefully putting the bruise paste on the night table, exaggerating the movement so that I could see where he put it. "However, I need you to take these last two potions for me," he told me, showing me two vials- one green and one purple. "This one is Dreamless Sleep, which you will take last," he told me, indicating the purple. "This is Muscle Relaxant," he added, handing me the green potion. I quickly uncorked it and downed the potion, making sure to ingest every last drop. I then handed the vial back to him as he handed me the, now, uncorked vial of Dreamless Sleep. I quickly took that one as well, handing the vial back as a pleasant warm feeling overcame me.

"Mmmm… that's nice," I mumbled as I laid back in bed. Severus pulled the covers up over me as I yawned, blinking slowly.

"Sleep, Nicole. I'll see you in the morning," he told me before turning off the lights and leaving the room. I smiled, looking out the glass wall in front of me at the fish, feeling at peace.

"Mmmm… sleep," I muttered before rolling over and closing my eyes, drifting away into the sea of my subconscious.

 **A/N: Hello all! I know I haven't updated in forever and I've been on an extended hiatus, but this is a new chapter. I've updated the prior chapters for a few spelling and/or grammatical changes, but the content hasn't changed. In other words, if you've already read the prior chapters, you don't need to worry about going back and rereading. Unless, of course, it's been so long that you're wondering what the hell this story was even about. Then feel free to go reread.**

 **Anyway, enjoy. I hope this chapter wasn't too terrible. I'm... satisfied with it. Hopefully another chapter by the end of next week.**

 **~Nicole813711**


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